With the holiday season in full swing, and entertaining family and guests on the near horizon, there will be many meals to plan over the next few weeks. Everyone has their favorite holiday traditions, which is what makes celebrating this time of year so special.

Today, I am taking part in a Virtual Holiday Brunch Potluck with a group of blogging friends. I love potlucks and what better than a Holiday Brunch Potluck where everyone brings their favorite dish to share. I signed up to bring a main dish, and there’s nothing more brunch-like than something made with eggs. This isn’t your traditional egg brunch dish, however. I made a healthy Asian inspired Omelette/Frittata. I hope my friends like it.

In our house on Christmas day, the kids wake up in the wee hours of the night to check out the presents under the tree and sort them, then head back to sleep. In the morning, the adults drag their feet, take their time getting a cup of coffee, and slowly get ready (after all, they were up late doing some last minute wrapping). Of course, this drives the kids absolutely insane, but it also builds up the anticipation and excitement for the day. We also have a family tradition of having each of the cousins choose a Bible verse to read and share before any presents are opened. We have done this for years because we believe it helps put Christmas in perspective – it’s not just about the presents, it’s about remembering the meaning of Christmas and a reminder of how blessed we all are.

Since it’s hard to say exactly when everyone will be ready for breakfast Christmas day, I usually serve brunch, followed by dinner later in the day. Making just two meals that day gives us all a break. After all, who wants to spend the whole day in the kitchen when every one else is relaxing.

To satisfy hungry bellies and keep hunger at bay until dinnertime, I try to make a hearty holiday brunch. Although breakfast casseroles seem to be especially popular this time of year, they are usually made with lots of cheese and sometimes cream. Since this is our first dairy-free holiday, and we are trying to eat healthy year-round, I came up with this Asian Fusion Omelette or Frittata for today’s Virtual Holiday Brunch Potluck. What’s the difference between an omelette and a frittata? As far as I can tell, an omelette is folded in half when cooking, while a frittata is left flat, and sometimes finished in the oven so the top cooks.

So, what exactly is this Asian Fusion Omelette or Frittata all about? As it turns out, Asians actually eat a lot of eggs, sometimes scrambled, steamed, boiled, and as an omelette or a frittata, except without any cheese or cream added, perfect for anyone on a dairy-free diet, or anyone just trying to eat healthier and lighter. There are Thai omelettes, Chinese Egg Foo Yung (although the authentic version is completely different from the Americanized one), Chinese oyster pancakes made with an egg/sweet potato flour batter, Japanese Okonomiyaki (sometimes called Japanese pizza), and Hawaiian Loco Moco (not healthy at all, but I borrowed the idea of the gravy on top). I’m calling this Omelette/Frittata an Asian Fusion dish because it’s a blend of the different components found in Chinese Egg Foo Yung, Japanese Okonomiyaki and Hawaiian Loco Moco.

Asian Fusion Omelette/Frittata with Gochujang Sauce

This omelette/frittata uses the toppings that are often found in Chinese Egg Foo Yung, a batter similar to one used for Chinese oyster pancakes, and a Dashi Gravy like the one served by Namu on their Loco Moco platter (although I’ve eaten at Namu, a food stand at the Ferry Building Farmer’s Market in San Francisco, I’ve never actually tasted their Dashi Gravy, so my recipe is a complete guess, but it’s good, so I’m going with it). Just for fun and because I was curious, I served one of these omelettes with Japanese Okonomiyaki toppings, which includes mayonnaise and tonkatsu sauce. I also tried a little Gochujang Sauce (note: this sauce is not gluten-free) on top as a spicy topping.

Asian Fusion Omelette/Frittata Okonomiyaki Style

I felt like a short order cook running an omelette station at at a brunch buffet in a hotel when I made these the other day. They were such a hit with my family, I couldn’t keep up. My boys actually liked the dashi gravy better than the Japanese Okonomiyaki toppings of mayonnaise and tonkatsu sauce, which I was pleasantly surprised by. I thought for sure they’d prefer the less healthy creamy mayonnaise and sweet tonkatsu sauce to the savory dashi gravy.

Please check out all the other goodies that everyone is bringing to this Virtual Holiday Brunch Potluck.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in an 8" omelette pan. Add 1 cup of mixed vegetables of your choice and 2 tablespoons of cooked meat, if using. Saute 1-2 minutes. Pour 1 cup of Egg Omelette Batter on top and gently lift edges of omelette around the pan, so uncooked egg spills to the edges.

Once the omelette is set and a little uncooked egg remains on top of the omelette, gently slide the omelette onto a plate.

Invert the pan on top of the plate and flip the pan upright so the omelette lands in the pan with the uncooked side down.

Continue cooking another minute or two until browned.

To make Dashi Gravy

Combine Dashi Gravy ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until thickened.

To Serve

Top cooked omelette with Dashi Gravy and some srirachi sauce, if desired. Sprinkle chopped scallions and diced red bell pepper on top.

Notes

This recipe is just as versatile as any other omelette or frittata recipe - use your favorite vegetables and proteins in whatever combination you like. I used bean sprouts, cabbage and red bell peppers for my veggies, and made two meat toppings using bits and pieces of ground turkey and extra chicken breast in my refrigerator. Of course, you can leave out the meat for a vegetarian version. That's what's nice about this brunch idea - everyone can make their omelette/frittata to order.

Thanks Cheryl – brunch used to be my favorite meal way back before I had kids and had all morning to kill (where did the time go?!). So, now brunch is a real treat – it is a big meal in our house Christmas day.

That sounds like a very lovely and meaningful Christmas morning, Jeanette. Of course, on the recipe, you had me at Asian Fusion. As I’ve shared before, I’m weak for anything that sounds international and fun. That omelette looks divine, too! Will have to figure out a gluten-free sauce when I try this one.

Jeanette! This is an amazing recipe. I am so excited to make this now. We are all about Asian Fusion meals in our home and my kids would love love this one!

And have a similar Christmas morning as you guys and the kids are usually dying in anticipation as the adults all get settled! But I love your idea of reading a Bible verse before each gift. Now that the kids and cousins are getting old enough to read I think we are going to start that tradition too! Thank you for the great idea!